Population Ecology
Population Ecology
Population Ecology
What is Population?
1. Geographic Distribution
2. Density
3. Dispersion
4. Growth Rate
5. Age Structure
Geographic Distribution
# of individuals
Area (units2) = population density
Three types:
Clumped Dispersion
Even Dispersion
Random Dispersion
Clumped Dispersion
Individuals are clustered together
Occurs:
When resources (food, water, living
spaces) are clumped together
Species have a certain social behavior
For example: herding animals, flocks of
birds, schools of fish, hives of bees
Even Dispersion (a.k.a Uniform Dispersion)
Individuals are separated by a fairly
even distance.
Occurs:
As a result of social interaction
Individuals trying to get as far
away from each other as possible.
Limited resources, competition,
nesting
Random Dispersion
Location of one individual is
independent of the location of the
other individuals
Examples:
Seed dispersal by the wind or animals
Growth Rate
Immigration
The movement of individuals into an area
Emigration
The movement of individuals out of an area
Population Dynamics
Population are dynamic, meaning that they:
Change in size and composition over time!
Considerations:
1. Birth rate: the number of births occurring in a given
period of time
2. Death rate or mortality rate: the number of deaths in
a given period of time
3. Life expectancy: the length of time an individual is
expected to live
If more individuals are being born
than die in a given period of time,
the population size will ___________.
increase
Examples include:
1. Competition
2. Predation
3. Parasitism and disease
4. Drought and other climate extremes
5. Human disturbances
Types of Limiting Factors
1. Density-Dependent Factors
Only when the population density
reaches a certain level.
2. Density-Independent Factors
Unusual weather or natural disasters
Floods and fires
Human activities
Clear-cutting a forest or damning a
river
What limits population growth?
R-Strategists
Think “R” for “reproduction”
1. The beginning of
agriculture and industry
made life much easier
and much safer.
2. Food is available on a
regular basis.
3. Goods can be shipped
around the world.
4. Improved sanitation and
living conditions
eliminated the high
levels of diseases.
5. Death rate dropped while
birth rate increased.
As a result, the human
population is experiencing
exponential growth
____________________.
The human population
cannot continue to grow in
________
this manner.
The resources on Earth are
limited
________.
The questions to be answered are:
When will we reach the limit of these
resources?
How large will the population get?
Will the planet be able to support
this huge human population?
Demography is the scientific study:
of human populations.
Some countries today
have a much higher
growth rate than other
countries.
Birthrates, death rates,
and the age structure of
a population help
predict why some
countries have a higher
growth rate than other
countries.
Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.
Alternative Proxies: